I speak to thee, seeker of solace, not from a separate or superior place, but as one who has walked in similar shoes along similar paths. I sought solace, begged for happiness, longed for the seemingly endless heartache to stop and the healing to begin. I found peace, not comfort and ease, but peace in the midst of discomfort and dis-ease. I found compassion for myself and for others, residing in my heart, the Christ Within had kept a small hearth-fire burning, waiting in the depths of my…

In recent days, I have recognized yet again that some people crave surety and certainty. They believe in, and seem to need a definite answer phrased in absolute terms. Beyond the biological and even theological implications of this system is the reality. Rational sense alone has frequently been disregarded for stubborn need. Thought it may not be our role to pass judgment, lest we be judged in kind, we eagerly take it in any case. When we are… Continue

Chronicler: Preparation for Worship and Self-Expression. Self expression has its place, such as in the time of afterthoughts or the fellowship afterward. It is fine to share things of value coming from the news media, an important conversation during the past week, or some other kind of interaction - but let everything have its proper place. The ancient Quaker approach to worship is… Continue

George Fox's Message Via His Scripture Quotations. I compiled a list using only those verses appearing in Fox’s epistles, reasoning that the epistles were more pastoral in nature and I wanted the verses that Fox would quote when writing to other Friends. From this set of verses, and looking at the way Fox used them, I pieced together a description of Fox’s message that, while… Continue

Liz Opp is back from 2010 Iowa YM Conservative. He spoke to us of how astonished they were by the possibility that worship doesn't have to be a "performance" packaged in liturgy, hymn singing, and preaching, but that rather that worship "can come out of nothing and out of Presence." Ken joked about how eager these colleagues were to learn about the Quaker way of waiting worship: "Can… Continue

Mark Wutka : time and service at North Carolina Conservative. When the registrar announced the numbers during the last business session, we learned that visitors accounted for a little more than 20% of those in attendance. On one hand, this says that a lot of people are hungry for what NCYM-C has to offer, but on the other hand it suggests that many within the yearly meeting don't realize what a… Continue

Practical Advice for Those Seeking Quakers. I've made some major updates to the "Practical Advice for those Seeking Quakers," "Spiritual Practices for Isolated Friends," and "Suggested Reading for Isolated Friends" pages to emphasize freely available (online) resources.…